Rio Grande NF Macroinvertebrate Analysis

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks contractor analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate samples from the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado, with quotations due July 2, 2026. The procurement is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services).

Place of performance is Del Norte, Colorado, with deliverables to the Rio Grande National Forest office in Monte Vista, Colorado. The contractor must possess expertise in entomology focused on the Rocky Mountain region and perform all work at its own facility, not on Forest Service lands. Work involves processing and identifying up to 24 quantitative samples annually from lotic environments, including sorting, enumerating, and identifying macroinvertebrate organisms to the lowest possible taxonomic level according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment standards. Chironomids and oligochaetes require identification to genus or species group. Quality assurance mandates that 10% of picked samples be verified by a second person, with no more than 5% organism loss acceptable. Deliverables include hardcopy spreadsheet, electronic form (Microsoft Access-compatible), and email submission of sample data and QA/QC results with a three-month maximum turnaround from final sample delivery.

Amendment 1, effective June 18, 2026, extended the period of performance from August 31, 2027 to December 31, 2027. The contract is anticipated as firm-fixed price requirements for a one-year base period with an optional six-month extension not exceeding 18 months total. Samples will arrive primarily between August and October annually, with approximately 12 samples anticipated per year (minimum 10, maximum 14). Service Contract Labor Standards apply; the Laboratory Technician wage determination is $19.70 per hour plus health and welfare benefits. Evaluation uses lowest-price technically acceptable criteria, weighing technical approach, price, and past performance. Offerors must submit a technical response limited to 10 pages maximum, pricing for all line items including cost-per-site for Colorado Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index calculation, and resumes for key personnel. Questions were due June 18, 2026.